Base for fence-posts



N. "749,337, I lleAflfENTEn JAN. 12, 1904.

R. G. STEWART, JA.' an W. A. STEWART.

BASE POR FENCE POSTS. ArPLoATIqlt FILED JULYv 11, nos.

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UNITED `STATES Patented January 12, V1904:.

PATENT CEEICE.

\ RICHARD C. STEWART, JR., AND WALLACE A. STEWART, OF COVINGTON,

KENTUCKY.

BASE FOR FENCE-POSTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 749,337, dated January 12, 1904.

Application led .Tuly l1, 1903. Serial No. 165,078. (No model.)

T0 (1J/Z whom, it may con/cern:

Be it known that we, RICHARD C. STEWART, J r. and WALLACE A. STEWART, citizens of the United States, and residents of Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have invented a certain new and useful Base for Fence-Posts; and we do declare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description thereof, attention being called to the accompanying drawings, with the reference v characters marked thereon, which form also a part of this specification.`

The generalobject of this invention is to provide a suitable base for iron fences which may be furnished to the fence-builder ready for use, which is portable to permit shipping to the places where the fence is to be erected,

and which'is of a material not readily aifected by the destructive iniiuence of exposure to weather and moisture when placed below the ground.

"At present in the building and erecting of the usual iron-rail picket fences it is customary to use at certain intervals a fence-post,`

one of the pickets usually serving for such purpose and whereby the fence is held in its erect position. These particular pickets are in such case extended downwardly and attached to iron bases planted into` the ground. A laterally-extending brace is generally used in connection with such post, to the upper part of which it is attached, while its lower end attaches to the same base.

" of size as to extreme dimensions and without increase in cost, As to size, it is to be such as to render it portable to permit it to be shipped to the places of its use, and it is to be provided with certain means to permit ready attachment of the particular parts, fittings, posts, and,` braces whereby the fence is to be connected to and erected on said bases.

l skeleton.

`its final shape. crete, involving also the` use of sand and line In the following specification, and particularly pointed out in the claim, is found a full description of the invention, together with its parts and mode of construction, which latter isalso illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-m Figure 1 shows in perspective view our improved base in .its application to a fence for the purpose of sustaining the same, a section of fence being also shown. Figs. 2, 3, and A in side views show our base slightly modified in each figure as to shape and as to the means whereby the fence is to be attached to it. Fig. 5 is a top view of Fig. 3, with parts broken away. Fig. 6 is a top view of Fig. 4. Figs. 74 and 8 in perspective views show further modifications as to shape and as to means for attaching the fence. Figs. 9 and 10 are enlarged cross-sections of parts of the base and show arrangement and disposition of the metal As to material, we use one which may be `readily molded or poured while in a plastic or liquid state and thereafter sets and hardens in a manner to readily and permanently retain A mixture of cement or congravel, is a material best suited for our purposes, since it is not affected by the moisture of theground and is also of a Weight which insures stability when submerged below the ground. 4This mixture in a plastic state by aid of suitable molds is shaped to the desired form, which shape is such as to be substantially wider at the bottom of the base to more readily resist strains and stresses on the fence tending to lift or laterally upset it. -It is furthermore such as to permit the ground to be packed against it in the Ymost advantageous manner to gain in addition to the weight of the base also the assistance of the ground to hold the base most firmly in position. A shape most suitable for all such purposes is shown in the drawings, where the base consists of upright members 12 12,arranged so as to be further apart at their lower ends and held together by a top piece 13, a bottom piece 14E, and an intermediate piece 15. These members by being more bulky than the corresponding slender members of the usual iron base do not become loose in the ground as readily as this latter by reason of the increased surface contact with the ground surrounding them. The stability of their position within the ground is still further increased by reason of the possibility of packing the ground between these members and against their inner sides. This effect may be still further enhanced by the addition of lateral extensions 16 of the base member 14, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. An increased contact effect is also obtained by the inwardly-extending web 17, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

The structure is strengthened by a metal skeleton 18, as shown in Figs. 3, 5, 8, 9, and 10, imparted while the former is in its plastic state, said skeleton being suspended in the mold while the base is formed and poured. This skeleton maybe iiat bar metal, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, or it may be in form of a number of round bars or wires, as shown in Fig. 10, or any other profile. In Fig. 3 we have shown the intermediate member 15 omitted, the entire space between top, bottom, and side members of the base being closed by a continuous web 19, which is, however, of limited thickness only.

The upper end of the base is prepared in a manner whereby it becomes adapted to readily receive the fence,the means to be used for such purpose to be of course of a kind to best suit the construction of the particular attaching means provided on the fence. In Fig. lwe have shown a customary style of fence,the same consisting of vertical pickets 21,held in position by horizontal rails 22. One of these pickets at certain intervals is extended to reach downwardly and serves as a fence-post which then is attached to the base. In Fig. 1 such a post is indicated at 23, and a brace 24 used in connection with it is also shown. The lower ends of these two members are received by a customary shoe 25, having sleeves 26, which form sockets for the reception of the lower ends of these two fence members and in which sockets they are held by set-screws 27. These iron shoes may be molded into the base at the upper end; but by preference they are held thereat by anchorscrews 28, embedded into the upper member 13 of the base. There may be two, as shown in Fig. 1, or one, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7, the connection of the shoe to them being by nuts 29. Sleeves 26 may also be directly molded into the base at its upper end, as shown in Figs. 2, 4, 6, and 8, and without forming a part of an intermediate shoe 25, set-screws 27, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, passing in lat erally through the concrete, the sockets having lateral extensions 26L to receive them.

All the connecting means, or those shown in Fig. 7 at 28 or as shown in Fig. 8, may be used in any way most suited. They may serve for direct connection of a fence-post or for the connection of intermediate attaching means which may be like shoe 25. In Figs. 2, 4, and 6 sockets 26 are also shown as contained in lateral extensions 13a of the upper base member 13.

As will be seen, a fence-base thus constructed in conformity with our invention satisfies all'requirements for practical purposes. It is durable and more lasting than iron. It is not more expensive. The bulky shape of its frame members insures a good and firm holding contact with the ground, resisting all strains and stress tending to upset or uproot the fence, and vastly superior to the holding effect of the slender members of an iron base. The open shape of this frame, which permits also ground to be packed in between its members, greatly increases this holding engagement.v The increase in size by reason of this bulk is not sufiicient to be objectionable and does not offset its immense advantages. Its use does not require any particular skill, since it comes ready with all parts necessary to permit attachment of the fence.

Having described our invention, We claim as new- As a new article of manufacture, a fencebase complete in itself and ready to receive the upright sustaining members of a fence and adapted to be moved and handled independently, the same consisting of upright members converging upwardly, top, bottom and intermediate members which connect these upright members transversely, all molded in concrete and forming a connected open frame, a skeleton frame of metal and of corresponding shape around which these concrete members are molded and which members com pletely inclose this skeleton frame and means molded in the top member of this open-concrete frame and serving to connect the upright sustaining members of the fence.

In testimony whereof We hereunto set our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD C. STEWART, JR. WALLACE A. STEWART.

Witnesses:

C. SPENGEL, ALBERT A. MoEBUs.

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